Georgian soldiers in May, taking part in exercises organized by NATO, over Russian objections. Pool Photo by Nina ShlamovaFrom The New York Times:
WASHINGTON — The United States is resuming a combat training mission in the former Soviet republic of Georgia to prepare its army for counterinsurgency operations in Afghanistan, despite the risks of angering Russia, senior Defense Department officials said Thursday.
The training effort is intended to prepare Georgian troops to fight at NATO standards alongside American and allied forces in Afghanistan, the Pentagon officials said.
Russian officials have been informed, American officials said. The training should not worry the Kremlin, they said, because it would not involve skills that would be useful against a large conventional force like Russia’s.
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My Comment: The Russian Government does not care about the training that a few hundred Georgian soldiers are going to receive .... they care more about the political significance and the media play from such a joint event.